Inside Passage: Living with Killer Whales, Bald Eagles, and Kwakiutl Indians

Dissatisfied with his unfocused life and seeking wilderness experience, Colorado freelance writer Modzelewski drifted west. In Vancouver, B.C., he met a larger-than-life character, Will Malloff, who invited him to his island paradise. Modzelewski spent 18 months on Swanson Island (3 miles long, 1 miles wide) in the Inside Passage between northern Vancouver Island and the mainland, renewing his bonds with the natural world and testing himself with severe physical challenges. In the winter months he was alone; spring and summer brought visitors--Malloff and his companion, fishermen, yachting parties. Modzelewski waxes ecstatic about the land- and seascape and wildlife; he enjoyed the company of Kwakiutl Indians and the loners who lived on neighboring islands. His story provides a fine vicarious adventure for readers who cherish the wilderness. (Apr.)